not make her your mother, but He has established the expiation for it. And [regarding] "Nor has He made your adopted sons your [true] sons," He says: He has not made your adopted one your son. He says: If a man adopts another man, it is not his son. It was mentioned to us that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say: "Whoever intentionally attributes himself to someone other than his father, Allah will forbid Paradise to him" (1).

[His saying, the Almighty: "Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah"]

17576 - From Ibn 'Umar: Zayd ibn Harithah, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), we did not use to call him anything but Zayd ibn Muhammad, until the Quran was revealed: "Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah." So the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "You are Zayd ibn Harithah ibn Sharahil" (2).

17577 - From 'Aishah: "Abu Hudhayfah ibn 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah ibn 'Abd Shams—who was among those who witnessed Badr—adopted Salim and married him to his brother's daughter, Hind bint al-Walid ibn 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah. He (Salim) was a freed slave of a woman from the Ansar, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) adopted Zayd. Whoever adopted a man in the Jahiliyyah, the people would attribute him to him, and he would inherit from his estate, until Allah revealed regarding that: 'Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah. But if you do not know their fathers, then they are your brothers in faith and your allies.' So they were returned to their fathers, and whoever had no known father was considered an ally and brother in faith. Then Sahlah bint Suhayl ibn 'Amr came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: 'Salim used to be called the son of Abu Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), and Allah has revealed in His Book: "Call them by their fathers," and he enters upon me while I am alone, and we are in a tight house.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Nurse Salim, and you will become unlawful for him'" (3).

17578 - From Muqatil regarding the verse: He says, if you do not know their fathers to attribute them to, then ascribe them as your brothers in faith, as one says: 'Abdullah, 'Abdur-Rahman, 'Ubaydullah, and similar names, or that he is attributed to the name of his patron (mawla) (4).

His saying, the Almighty: "But if you do not know their fathers, then they are your brothers in faith and your allies."

17579 - From Mujahid (may Allah be pleased with him): "But if you do not know their fathers, then they are your brothers in faith and your allies." He says: Your brother in religion and your ally (mawla) is the ally of the clan of so-and-so" (5).